The 1960s was not only a decade full of revolutionary change and protests, but also a time of artistic and colorful creativity. Creative freedom exploded across all forms, music, visual art, film, fashion, and theatre. Artists’ work was made to provoke, challenge, and inspire. They often reflected or drove cultural, political, and social movements.
Visual Art
One of the most iconic art styles that emerged from the 60s was pop art. Pop art is easily distinguishable by bright colors, clear lines, and use of commercial imagery. It boldly rejects traditional art by using images from comic books, advertisements, and everyday objects. They managed to bring simple everyday culture into art galleries, and even challenged the idea of what qualified as art.
On the opposite end of the spectrum is minimalism. As the name suggests minimalism simplifies art into uncomplicated and basic patterns. The art style is focused on simplicity and repetition. Minimalism emerged during the mid-1960s in New York. Some prominent artists who participated in the simplicity of this art style include Donald Judd, Dan Flavin, and Agnes Martin.
In the late 1960s, psychedelic art was popularised by its chaotic and vivid imagery. Psychedelic art features brightly colored, distorted images and patterns. These pieces are meant to convey, or enhance a psychedelic experience. The art style was influenced by the rise in the use of hallucinatory drugs, especially LSD. Typical designs include abstract swirls of varying bright colors and surreal imagery.
Music
Music in the 60s became more than just entertainment. It became a tool used for activism. Music became the voice of a generation. Bands like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones rose to fame internationally, bringing British pop, rock, and youth culture to the world. Music responded to the growing struggles of civil rights movements, war, and rising social injustice. Furthermore, the 60s was full of musical exploration. Artists like Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan, and Nina Simone experimented with sound, lyrics, and the production process. One result of this musical experimentation was psychedelic rock, which like psychedelic art was inspired by hallucinogenic drugs. Psychedelic rock is constructed from distorted or unusual sound effects, long instrumental jams, and non-traditional instruments, like sitars or mellotrons. The lyrics of psychedelic rock were often philosophical or dreamlike. This style of music has close ties to hippie culture and anti-war protests.
Film & Theater
The early 1960s still featured polished and tightly controlled films. However, midway through the decade, the Hollywood Production Code, which censored sex, violence, and political content, began to collapse into itself. Out of the ruins rose the New Hollywood movement, which embraced riskier, more realistic, and youth-focused story telling. Themes that had never before seen in the media, such as youth rebellion, sexual content, race, and political disillusionment, began to emerge. Over time, the line between simple entertainment and activism began to blur. Prominent films that pushed this agenda were Bonnie and Clyde (1967) that shocked the audience with its violence and moral ambiguity, Easy Rider (1969) a film that embodied hippie culture and freedom, and Midnight Cowboy (1969) an X-rated film that explored sex work and poverty.
Just like many other forms of art, theater in the 1960s became a tool for activism and challenging authority. Some performances were created to be intentionally confrontational, the aim was to shock audiences into political awareness. One example was The Living Theater, a U.S.A based group. Off-Broadway and fringe theatres flourished, especially in populated cities like New York and London, as they offered more radical plays that pushed boundaries. Noteworthy performances that addressed issues such as civil rights, the Vietnam War, feminism, or class inequality include Dutchman (1964), Viet Rock (1966), Cloud Nine (written in 1979 but has ties rooted in the 1960s), and Saved (1965).
Fashion
In the early 1960s, fashion remained elegant yet conservative. It was a time of refined tailoring (for those who could afford it), with an emphasis of modesty. Women typically wore fitted bodices and full skirts, a style that was left over from the 1950s. Shift dresses and A-line shapes rose in popularity, with skirt lengths remaining below the knee. Women’s hair was often cleanly styled into bouffants or curled, worn short or clipped up. Men wore slim-cut suits with narrow lapels and ties. The colour palette remained mostly neutral. Men’s hair was kept short, typically in clean-cut styles that would be slicked back or neatly combed.
However, things changed in the mid to late 1960s. Fashion exploded with color and unique style. The miniskirt became popular among women as it represented youth and freedom. Influenced by the art and music at the time, people wore psychedelic prints such as tie-dye and swirling kaleidoscope patterns. In the late 60s, natural fabrics, bell-bottom jeans, and ethnic prints became part of hippie fashion.
The 1960s was a decade where art made deep and meaningful statements. Whether through visual art, music, film, theatre, or fashion. The 1960s proved art to be revolutionary and not just beauty.